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Andres-Alonso M, Grochowska KM, Gundelfinger ED, Karpova A, Kreutz MR. Protein transport from pre- and postsynapse to the nucleus: Mechanisms and functional implications. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103854. [PMID: 37084990 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The extreme length of neuronal processes poses a challenge for synapse-to-nucleus communication. In response to this challenge several different mechanisms have evolved in neurons to couple synaptic activity to the regulation of gene expression. One of these mechanisms concerns the long-distance transport of proteins from pre- and postsynaptic sites to the nucleus. In this review we summarize current evidence on mechanisms of transport and consequences of nuclear import of these proteins for gene transcription. In addition, we discuss how information from pre- and postsynaptic sites might be relayed to the nucleus by this type of long-distance signaling. When applicable, we highlight how long-distance protein transport from synapse-to-nucleus can provide insight into the pathophysiology of disease or reveal new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Andres-Alonso
- Research Group Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function', Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katarzyna M Grochowska
- Research Group Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function', Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eckart D Gundelfinger
- Research Group Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anna Karpova
- Research Group Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael R Kreutz
- Research Group Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function', Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
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Yu Y, Oberlaender K, Bengtson CP, Bading H. One nuclear calcium transient induced by a single burst of action potentials represents the minimum signal strength in activity-dependent transcription in hippocampal neurons. Cell Calcium 2017; 65:14-21. [PMID: 28325690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurons undergo dramatic changes in their gene expression profiles in response to synaptic stimulation. The coupling of neuronal excitation to gene transcription is well studied and is mediated by signaling pathways activated by cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium transients. Despite this, the minimum synaptic activity required to induce gene expression remains unknown. To address this, we used cultured hippocampal neurons and cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescence in situ hybridization (catFISH) that allows detection of nascent transcripts in the cell nucleus. We found that a single burst of action potentials, consisting of 24.4±5.1 action potentials during a 6.7±1.9s depolarization of 19.5±2.0mV causing a 9.3±0.9s somatic calcium transient, is sufficient to activate transcription of the immediate early gene arc (also known as Arg3.1). The total arc mRNA yield produced after a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient was very small and, compared to unstimulated control neurons, did not lead to a significant increase in arc mRNA levels measured using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) of cell lysates. Significantly increased arc mRNA levels became detectable in hippocampal neurons that had undergone 5-8 consecutive burst-induced nuclear calcium transients at 0.05-0.15Hz. These results indicate that a single burst-induced nuclear calcium transient can activate gene expression and that transcription is rapidly shut off after synaptic stimulation has ceased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Kristin Oberlaender
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - C Peter Bengtson
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Hilmar Bading
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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